The hobbit - Comfort
by Jkisu
Summary: Fem-Bilbo warning (a little mention of Fem-Ori, as well), hugs and snugs. So I've never written anything before. I'm sorry for it propably being awful but I wanted to share this. I needed to try! Overhearing Balin and Dwalin, Thorin is brought to think about where the quest will maybe lead him and if he'll repeat his grandfather's mistakes. Bilbo attempts to make him feel better.


It had been a few peaceful days and the group had gotten relaxed enough to stop and make a proper camp for the night, meaning a cozy campfire, good food and even laughter. The dwarves welcomed this opportunity to drop their defenses for the time being and even though Thorin kept reminding them this is not a holiday trip they actually had the courage to peacefully roast a young deer Fili and Kili had caught.

Well-fed and noisy the dwarves were laughing, singing and dancing around the bonfire and while Bilbo enjoyed this happiness and merry songs, she was also weary of the travel and wanted a moment of silence for herself. Giving Bofur a little pat on the shoulder so the dwarves wouldn't worry of her, she left to have a little walk in the woods, leaving the dwarf look after her worried.

Starlight. It was beautiful and she had missed watching it for these past weeks. It felt like the silent moments were less and less and as she walked through the cool grass up a little hill in the woods, to see the stars better, she pondered when she'd be home again, to watch the stars from there. She'd seen many places but the sunset in the Bag-end was still the prettiest she'd ever seen. She missed it so much...

Finding a big tree, she sat under it cozily and leaned her back against the bark. Ever since she'd been a child she'd tried to count all the stars but obviously with no avail. She smiled softly at the million lights up in the sky, like to an old friend and felt like she could fall asleep right there, until she heard farmiliar voices under the hill, from the path leading to their campsite. The voices were coming closer. It was Balin and Dwalin returning from their evening walk.

"Imagine it, brother, some day, perhaps, we'll be able to walk casually like this in our own home in Erebor!" Exclaimed Balin merrily.

"If we kill the dragon, perhaps indeed, but what after that?" Grunted Dwalin.

"What do you mean? Our brothers and sisters from the Blue Mountains will join us and we will finally have our home back. Can you not remember it? Do you not miss it?"

"I was still young..." Said Dwalin sighing. "But I remember. That however isn't what I am on about... What of Thorin?"

"He'll become our king of course! What are you on about?"

Bilbo sat up and snuck closer towards the chatting Dwarves to hear and see them better. They had stopped on the pathway and Bilbo could see them easily.

Listening to this, she heard footsteps from behind her and turned her had to see Thorin standing not far away his arms folded over his chest, giving her a stern look and looking like he was about to say something but as he drew breath to toss something witty her way, he heard the other two as well and turned his gaze towards the two who hadn't noticed the hobbit and their prince.

"And when he's our king, what then? How can we keep him within his sanity?"

"Ah..." Balin said, sounding downbrought. "You fear he'll succumb into the same madness as Thror and Thrain?"

"Is it not obvious? You know there's a curse within his bloodline. You've seen it yourself. How can we keep him from repeating the same mistakes as Thror?"

"That, my brother, is not our concern." Said Balin strictly. "More precisely, it is not your problem. You're a warrior not a..."

"So is he!" Groaned Dwalin "An excellent warrior and a leader but you would have him drown in his nightmares and paranoia?"

The dwarves began walking again slowly, while still talking.

"Of course I do not wish that!" Balin said frustrated, raising his arms like pushing the thought away. "But what will you have me do? It is his birthright to become a king!"

"You will be his advisor like you were his grandfathers. You say it is not up to you but mark my words when he beheads us because of his insanity, I will haunt you."

"Then let us pray he'll never give in to the curse upon his blood... Besides how do you haunt me if I'm dead as well..."

The dwarves voices faded as they kept walking. Bilbo wanted to hear more but couldn't follow with the princes eyes upon her. She sat up and turned to give Thorin an apology for eavesdropping his friends but the dwarfs face withered the words upon her lips.

Thorin was looking towards the pathway where the two had walked to and then raised his eyes towards the sky, swallowing hard and blinking a few times before turning around with an angry look on his face. He didn't walk towards the camp but deeper into the woods and Bilbo didn't know for sure but she thought she had seen him blink away his tears.

She sat on her knees for a moment, hesitating and then nodding to herself, standing up and quickly checking her pockets. The ring was in there, she noted relieved. She could hide anytime. She had already made herself a criminal by spying on Balin and Dwalin. Besides she... She didn't want him to be sad...

She'd just make sure the prince isn't... Isn't putting himself in danger. Surely that was part of her contract too? "Making sure Thorin Oakenshield would be kept safe"?

"That wouldn't make sense... He's a prince. Why would he care what the others think..." She whispered to herself. "But..." She thought: "I can just take a little look... Right?"

Bilbo followed the trail she believed the dwarven prince went towards to and rather quickly found him sitting by a tree, his back against the wood much like Bilbo earlier. He wasn't looking up towards the sky though, not that there was much to see in first place as the trees covered the view. No, the prince was looking downwards and fiddling with something between his fingers. In the dark Bilbo could barely see it but she figured it had to be the key he always had with him.

Kneeling down in the bushes, the hobbit sat there quietly and tried to listen. She could hear the wind gently shaking the leaves and little animals rustling in the bushes much like herself. The breeze was warm and gentle and would had felt so nice if...

If Bilbo wouldn't had heard quiet, just barely audible, sad murmurs and sighs from where she faintly saw the prince sit at.

The hobbit hesitated again and thought to leave but Bilbo, being a gentle soul, couldn't have Thorin, no matter how strong he always seemed, be left alone in the darkness and sadness. She had to at least try. She pinched her nose, drew a deep breath and stepped up.

Thorin Oakenshield stared at a key given by his grandfather and his father, to Gandalf, granted, but eventually to him. He gazed at it with misty eyes, wondering and pondering how many princes and kings had carried it before him and if they all had been consumed by the curse of gold. Would he be any different? How would he know? What CHOICE did he have?!

He suddenly heard quiet rustling from the bushes and without a sound dropped the key to hang by it's chain, slowly leading his hand to the hilt of Orcrist. What chance there was that the orcs would had found him and why would they ever sneak to him in such silence?

"Um... Thorin?" Called a little voice in the shadows and the prince let out a relieved sigh, letting go of the hilt.

"Did I call for you, burglar?" He asked grumpily, forcing the thoughts away and his voice to be stable. Surprising how hard it was sometimes. "I didn't want company but you're here already so at least be polite and show yourself."

The hobbit coughed timidly and Thorin saw her walk from the bushes looking at her toes ashamed and pinching her own fingers with the other hand. He stared at her under his eyebrows. He wasn't pleased with this interruption but something about seeing this little hobbit made him feel better. A little.

"What do you want, little burglar?" He asked her when she seemed to wait for him to speak. She looked like she was expecting a lecture for spying on him. Depending on the answer, Thorin thought, she might just get it.

"I... I wanted to..." She scratched herself behind her ear and kept looking down. "I wanted to see if there's anything I could do to make you feel better I guess..."

Letting out a little sharp sigh Thorin shook his head and grunted. "Sit, hobbit. Might as well."

Bilbo looked around for a proper place to sit but then sat next to him against the tree, leaving a little, respecting gap between her and the prince. Thorin didn't look at her and the sat in silence for a while. Half-heartedly Thorin began fiddling with the key again, staring into the shadows. Finally, after some minutes of only the sounds of the forest he spoke.

"Now, what does a little hobbit care how I feel?"

Bilbo looked at him and thought a while. She didn't know. She just didn't like it when people felt bad. Thorin especially, she thought, has had enough hardship without him wondering if his own kin trust him or not.

"Everyone's important and it's not fair someone has to sit alone when clearly they're sad..."

Thorin smirked. "I am not sad, Master Baggins. I only needed a little silence."

"Are you sure? Oh... Um... I can go then. I didn't want to bother. I just thought that maybe I could had helped..."

"You're rambling, hobbit."

"Y-Yes. I'm sorry..." She attempted to lift herself up but suddenly she felt him gab her wrist gently.

"I didn't tell you to go." Thorin said quietly and let her hand go when she sat down again. Bilbo rubbed her wrist a little, not because it had hurt but because it had surprised her. She didn't understand why her heard started racing when he touched her. Well, she did, but it was silly.

Thorin didn't speak for a while again and she started feeling uneasy.

"Ah... About Balin and Dwalin... Um... I'm sorry about it. I mean I just noticed them and would had left but then you came and..."

The dwarf grunted and Bilbo bit her lip.

"You wonder, do you not, if the curse is real?" Thorin said then and looked at her sideways.

"N-Not really..." Bilbo noticed Thorin's frown. "But I imagine you do..?" She continued carefully, like poking the first ice on a pond.

Bilbo could almost hear Thorin's body tense up as he swallowed and then answered quietly. "Many believe that the gold poisons the kings mind and rots the soul... My father and Grandfather... Didn't believe in it."

"Do you?"

No answer, just a deep sigh. Bilbo realized this was probably a wrong kind of a question and was about to apologize.

"I don't know what to believe..." Thorin whispered before she could think of better words than ´I'm Sorry´. She could see him grasping tightly on the key and could imagine the cold metal digging into his skin. Even in the darkness she could just barely see him shivering and when he spoke he sounded broken.

"I don't know... I don't know anything..."

Biting his teeth together Thorin closed his eyes tight, breathing faster. He could feel the fear raising it's ugly head. He didn't fear battle or death, but he feared what he could become. Would he truly behead his friends because of the same blight that drove his grandfather into madness?

He remembered how his grandfather slowly became greedier, colder... How his eyes lost the warmness and light and how they were like snow up on the mountain. He only smiled when he was given more gold, more treasure... Or when he could show to others what he had but they didn't. If it hadn't been the dragon, Thror would had ruined himself in another way...

Half lost in his freezing fears he could suddenly feel warm arms around him, and he was brought back to the forest from the empty halls. A memory of his grandfather's laughter faded from his ears when he opened his eyes and turned them towards the hobbit who had wrapped her arms around him, pressing her head against his shoulder so he couldn't see her face but he could imagine her holding them closed tight.

"What..." He whispered, feeling the warmness completely surround him all the way to his face and he suddenly realized how glad he was it was dark.

"I don't know what you dwarves do but this is our way." She said fast and nervous, letting go of him as fast as she had taken the hold. She looked at him timidly as she took her seat again.  
"I didn't want you to be lost in bad memories..."

The prince inhaled deeply and bit his teeth together again. Bilbo thought she had already made him angry when he suddenly moved to his knees and took a tight hold of her shoulders. Shocked and surprised she didn't know what he was going to do as he looked into her eyes and said nothing. She felt like he was measuring her.

"You have to promise me..." Thorin grunted. "Promise me two things."

"A-anything but please don't break me!"

Thorin leaned in and hugged the hobbit tight. Bilbo gasped as she was pressed against him, her cheek against his hair and neck and the fur of his cloak tickling her face and ear. As he kept holding her she moved her arms around his neck and hugged him back.

"Promise me to tell no soul of this..."

"I promise." She whispered, closing her eyes. Thorin's scent filled her lungs and she felt dizzy. He smelled of sweat, his furcoat and many days of traveling (but then again so did she) but there was something else she couldn't describe. That something made her head spin and heart race but she didn't want it to stop.

"And promise me..." Thorin whispered into her ear. "Promise me you won't let go..."

She pressed her face against his furcoat and hugged him tighter when she felt his body shiver.

"I promise!"

_

Later the dwarves became worried about their prince and the burglar missing. Ori found them sleeping against a tree with their arms around eachother, and, to her relief, with clothes on.

She hurried back and told the others they're up the hill, talking.


End file.
